Reims: Les Crayères

There’s an excellent new reason to pop the cork on a bottle of Champagne in Reims—the legendary hotel Les Crayères, with its restaurant Le Parc and brasserie Le Jardin, has a terrific new chef. Philippe Mille, 35, who trained with Michel Roth at the Ritz and Frédéric Anton at the Pré Catelan, most recently worked as second to Yannick Alleno at Hôtel Le Meurice in Paris. At Le Parc, Roth punctuates his very impressive and absolutely delicious classic French haute cuisine with brilliant flashes of culinary wit. At a recent lunch, I loved his grilled duck foie gras accompanied by white cabbage spiked with black truffles and juniper berries. Turbot roasted in salt butter was served with a ragout of white beans, Jerusalem artichokes, bone marrow and a tarragon jus; and the “Les Crayères” dessert was composed of pink Reims biscuits, grapefruit sorbet and a Champagne gelée of citrus fruits. The service was impeccable, and with the recent arrival of a new general manager, the curiously solemn atmosphere of this lovely hotel has been replaced by an appealing aura of well-mannered good times.

64 blvd Henry Vasnier, Reims, 03.26.24.90.00. Lunch menus €65 and €85; prix-fixe dinner €110; à la carte €150. Prices are per person without wine.

Originally published in the April 2010 issue of France Today

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